The current energy crisis and subsequent rise in fuel costs has created extreme hardships on those persons living on restricted or fixed incomes. The objective of this design study was to create affordable housing for these people through the use of three areas: 1) energy conservative construction, 2) alternative energy systems, and 3) barrier free design. Through the use of the Skytherm solar roof pond system, woodburning stoves, and domestic solar hot water systems, the cost of using the units designed have been drastically lowered from that of an all-electric home. Additionally, through the use of barrier free design recommendations, housing has been created which is equally liveable for the non-handicapped and the handicapped person. / Master of Architecture

The attitudes toward nutrition and dentistry were studied in a group of senior dental students at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia. The attitude statements were divided into three categories, nutrition and counseling, the nutrition counseling in their future dental practice, and nutrition education in dental school. Students responded positively or negatively to 30 statements related to nutrition and dentistry. Varying point values were assigned to each answer. High scores indicated a positive attitude toward nutrition. The results indicated that students have favorable attitudes toward nutrition. Their least favorable attitude was toward the inclusion of nutrition counseling in their future dental practice. However, they realized the importance of nutrition to good oral health and nutrition's role in the prevention and control of dental caries. The teaching of nutrition to dental students did not improve individual eating habits or reinforce already good habits. The students were confident that they would be able to recognize nutritional problems and make the necessary referrals. However, the students did not agree that the nutrition education they received prepared them to treat the nutritional problems they might encounter. Students who had favorable attitudes toward nutrition education also had favorable attitudes about including nutrition counseling in their dental practice. / Master of Science

This thesis is concerned with the use and development of mass matrices. A literature study is performed to determine the role of the mass matrix in the current state of the art of dynamic structural analysis. For simplicity and efficiency, the information obtained from the literature study is presented in a tabular format. A comparison study of three different types of mass matrices on the basis of frequency prediction is conducted. In order to perform the comparison study, a computer code was developed using beam-column elements to assemble the system mass matrix and calculate the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. This code was then added to the code developed in CE4002 - Matrix Structural Analysis and CE5980 - Computer Aided Structural Design. Test problems are presented and comparisons made with exact solutions and solutions from the literature. / Master of Science

One hundred and ninety-nine animals at the VPI&SU Dairy Cattle Center were used to investigate interrelationships between· hormonal, nutritional, lactational and environmental factors which may affect estrous behavior and conception rate. All cattle were observed for estrous activity twice daily between 0800 to 1000 hr (am) and 2000 to 2200 hr (pm). Breedings were made at the first observation of estrus (0 hr) or following the next heat check (12 hr). Animals first observed in heat in the am stood more (P <.05) times to be mounted (11 .4±9.9 mounts/ hr; x̄±SD) than those initially observed in estrus in the pm (7 .6±5.6 mounts/hr). Barn-housed cattle exhibited more estrous activity (P<.05) than cattle located in free stalls or on pasture. Older animals were more active (P<.01) than young animals at the initial estrous observation. Estrous activity declined (P<.05) from 9.4±8.2 mounts/hr at 0 hr to 1.6±4.4 mounts/hr at 12 hr. Increasing number of heats prior to breeding (P<.01), progesterone at 0 hr (P<.05) and estradiol at 12 hr (P<.05) were associated with greater estrous activity at 12 hr, whereas higher progesterone at 12 hr was associated with lowered (P<.05) estrous behavior at 12 hr. Mean plasma estradiol and progesterone concentrations at 0 hr (34.6±25.6 pg/ml and .47±.23 ng/ml) were higher (P<.05) than at 12 hr (30.2±24.6 pg/ml and .42±.23 ng/ml). No time differences (P>.10) in plasma glucose or urea were found. However, glucose was greater (P<.05) and urea lower (P<.05) in heifers than in lactating cows. Feed intake and milk production did not differ (P>.10) from 3 days prior to estrus through 3 days post estrus. Estrous activity was influenced (P<.05) by season (11.2 ± 8.9 mounts/hr for winter compared to 5.7 ±4.4 mounts/hr during the summer). Individual daily measurements of temperature, humidity or precipitation near the onset of estrus were not associated with estrous behavior (P>. 10). Season did not affect (P>.10) conception rate, however, maximum and minimum temperatures the day of and day after estrus were associated (P<.05) with fertility. Higher progesterone at 12 hr was detrimental (P<.05) to conception rate. Though inseminator differences ( P<. 05) were found, time of breeding (0 hr vs. 12 hr) did not affect (P>. 10) conception rates. / Master of Science

This study sought to identify backgrounds and functions of the directors of residential centers for continuing education located throughout the United States. Data were solicited from sixty-five directors. Of those center directors responding to the written questionnaire, twenty-one qualified as residential centers having lodging, food, and conference facilities. All centers studied were located on a college or university campus. Information was collected concerning the demographic characteristics of directors, their professional preparation, the functions they perform, and the role conception they have about their position as director. Demographically, the directors were predominantly male, caucasian, approximately fifty years of age, earned relatively high salaries, and held nonfaculty appointments. While no definite career patterns have been established, it appears that residential center directors are appointed from within their university, have several years of experience as a director, possess a management degree and have no formal credit courses in adult and continuing education. The study identified five functions of importance to residential center directors: (1) the development and training of center staff, (2) the interpretation of center policy, (3) the planning of conferences with clients, (4) the formulation of center goals and objectives, and (5) the supervision of professional program planners. In terms of their own concepts of their role as residential center director, the respondents reported their role as being an educator responsible for effective adult programs as well as a businessman utilizing sound principles and practices. The results of this study are significant because they provide current information on residential center directors not previously reported. / Master of Science

Marriage role expectations were assessed by the Marriage Role Expectations Instrument mailed to divorced men, divorced women, first-married women and first-married men. A convenience sample was obtained from Solo Parents in Blacksburg, Virginia, classes at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campuses in Blacksburg and Reston, Virginia, and a church directory. The responses of 70 divorced persons and 128 first-married persons were obtained and compared on the basis of their traditional-equalitarian conceptualizations in six areas of role behavior--authority patterns, household tasks, childcare, personal characteristics, social participation, and finance and employment. In addition, the expectations of 26 divorced men and 44 divorced women were compared in the categories of incorporation of stepchildren, involving a new spouse in previous financial responsibilities, and acceptance of a former spouse or relatives. Divorced females were significantly more equalitarian than divorced males on the subscales of authority patterns and finances and employment and on the total score. Married females were significantly more equalitarian than married males on the subscales of childcare, social participation and finances and employment. Divorced females were significantly more equalitarian than married females on the total score and three subscales. Childcare was the only subscale on which divorced persons gave less equalitarian responses than married persons. Divorced persons were undecided concerning involvement of a new spouse in financial debts and acceptance of a former spouse. They were in favor of incorporation of stepchildren into a new marriage. / Master of Science

The method of stress freezing photoelasticity has been applied to a phase of the nozzle corner crack problem yielding results in the form of crack shapes and stress intensity factor distributions. Results of the current study are compared with alternate methods and different phases of the same problem. A discussion of the variational material behavior around the flaw border is also included. The applicability of the current method to the prediction of fatigue crack shapes is also discussed. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between birth order, fashion opinion leadership and clothing conformity. The sample consisted of 60 first borns and 60 subjects from other ordinal positions. The instrument used in this research consisted of three parts: Schrank's (1970) Fashion Opinion Leadership (FOL) and Attitudes-Toward-Conformity and the nine statements forming Borsari's subscale of the revised Creekmore's "Importance of Clothing" questionnaire (1978). T-tests revealed that there was no significant differences between the mean scores of the first borns and those in other ordinal positions on the FOL inventory and both conformity measures. A significant difference was found between sex and the FOL scale, females were more likely to be fashion opinion leaders. The results of analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference between college attended and scores on the FOL and Schrank's conformity measure. Home Economic students were more likely than the students in Business and Arts and Sciences to be fashion opinion leaders and more likely than students in Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Arts and Sciences to conform. The results from a correlation showed that the validity of the two conforming measures was significant at the .05 level. / Master of Science

The techniques of stereology were applied to the microscopic transverse sections of 22 Brazilian tropical hardwood species. A minimum of 4 different trees, one slide per tree and 20 or 30 sampling fields per slide for each species were studied. Simple point fractions (P_p), intersection counts (P_L), and number of anatomical elements per unit area or feature count (N_A) were converted to cell area and size distribution parameters such as mean tangential (d̅_T) and mean radial cell diameters (d̅_R), mean chord intercept (λ̅_MCI) and mean free path (λ̅_MFP) values. In addition, area percentages and two moments of cell diameter distributions (M₁ and M₂) were calculated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's multiple range test were used to compare species. Within species differences were also tested. The results indicated large differences among the species studied in all quantitative parameters calculated. Some of the differences appeared to be large enough to suggest strong species specificity. No strong similarity occurred among species of the same family. Most within species differences were statistically non-significant. ANOVA and associated Duncan's multiple range test showed highly significant species specificity for all quantitative anatomical characteristics. These tests could be used for successive elimination of species to determine their identity. Bending and compression properties in the green condition were related to density. Residuals from those relationships were then related to six anatomical properties. Up to 80% of the variations in strength properties could be accounted for by density and an additional eight percent by quantitative anatomical parameters. / Master of Science

The viscoelastic behavior of a chopped glass fiber/polyester sheet molding compound (SMC-25) and of a modified epoxy adhesive (Metlbond 1113-2) as determined by creep and creep recovery tests is presented. A nonlinear viscoelastic characterization method of Schapery is presented and applied to the data for both materials. The nonlinear constitutive equation so obtained is used together with a delayed failure law postulated by Crochet to describe creep rupture data for both materials. Discussion is also given on the feasibility of applying the nonlinear viscoelastic procedures of Schapery in conjunction with the time-temperature superposition principle to obtain a time-stress-temperature surface to define failure. / Master of Science